GRAY, Robert Clinton 1916 - 1944

GRAY, SCHAEFER, SWEET

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 11/23/2023 at 20:36:53

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Wednesday, July 26, 1944
Front Page, Column 2, and
Page SIX, Column 8

Crash Kills Ens. R. GRAY

Ensign Robert Clinton GRAY, 28, a member of the U. S. Naval Reserve Ferry Command, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton GRAY, 611 South Second St., has been killed in an airplane accident at Bourbon, Mo., according to official word received here by his parents this morning.

The telegram read as follows:

"The commanding office deeply regrets to inform you that your son Ensign Robert Clinton GRAY, United States Naval Reserve was killed in an airplace accident on July 24 at Bourbon, Mo. His wife, Mrs. Neva Mae GRAY, notified and she will arrive in Iowa City July 26. The body will arrive in Fairfield July 27. Sincere sympathy is extended to you in your great loss."

Funeral arrangements are pending. Ensign GRAY will be taken to the Behner Funeral Home upon arrival here.

GRAY had a one-day stop-over in Fairfield a week ago yesterday en route on a mission to New York. His wife wrote a few days ago that he had returned safely to their home in Columbus. It was thought GRAY was on another mission at the time of his death in Missouri.

Besides his widow and parents, he is survived by one sister, Betty 16, who will be a junior in the local high school this fall; and two brothers, S. Sgt. Walter GRAY, 24, in the infantry invasion in France, and James 18, employed in Sheridan, Wyoming.

The family moved to Fairfield six years ago from a farm south of town when Mr. GRAY established the Clinton Gray Produce Co. located at 110 W. Briggs St.

Ensign GRAY was graduated from the Mt. Pleasant high school with the class of '36 and made his home with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. J. V. GRAY while attending school there. He attended Iowa Wesleyan college two years and received his bachelor of arts degree August 20, '40 from Iowa State Teachers college, Cedar Falls. He taught oneyear at the Lord Baltimore and Ocean View schools in Milsboro, Delaware before being called up for service in the U. S. Navy Air Force December 24, '42. He was sworn in July 27, '42 remaining at his home here while awaiting call.

GRAY had long been interested in aviation and was attending a civilian air school in Minnesota at the time of his enlistment.

He received training at the Iowa State University naval training station Iowa City and at Olathe, Kansas, before going to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he was commissioned an Ensign November 3, '43.

On November 10, a few days following his commissioning, he married Neva SCHAEFER daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irving SCHAEFER of Iowa City, at the English Lutheran church in Iowa City. The couple resided in Columbus, Ohio, where Ensign GRAY was assigned to the ferry command.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Friday, July 28, 1944
Front Page, Column 3

MILITARY RITES SUNDAY FOR ENSIGN R. GRAY

Full military services for Ensign Robert GRAY, killed monday in a plane crash near Bourbon, Mo., will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:00 at the First Metthodist (sic) church. The Navy Chaplain from Iowa City will conduct the services and a color guard, firing squad, bugler and pall bearers from the personnel of the Ottumwa Naval Station will be present to participate in the military rites.

The body of Ensign GRAY arrived by train in Fairfield this morning, escorted by Ensign R. E. Darby of Belvidere, Ill., a classmate and close friend of Robert. He will remain here for the service. Ensign Darby's wife accompanied Mrs. GRAY from Columbus, O. to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Irving SCHAEFER, Iowa City, and will come with her to Fairfield.

Capt. P. C. Supan, U.S.N., St. Louis, has sent order to funeral director Weston Behner that, in accord with Naval custom, the casket is not to be opened. The flag-draped casket is now at the Behner funeral home where it will remain until taken to the church for the service. Interment will be in Evergreen cemetery.

Complete details of the circumstances of the accident are not now available, but it is known that Ensign GRAY was flying a Navy Scout bomber, Hell Diver, when it crashed and exploded about 75 miles west of St. Louis, Mo. Farmers in the vicinity reported that they heard the plane, which they could not see because it was flying above the overcast, and that the motor seemed to be missing. They later heard the motor stop and saw the plane come down through the overcast and crash. The other occupant of the plane, an army sergeant who was a passenger, was also killed instantly in the crash.

Ensign GRAY, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton GRAY, 611 South Second street, was sworn into the Naval Air Force in July, 1942 and received his training at Iowa State University and at Olathe, Kan. before going to Corpus Christi, Texas where he was commissioned an Ensign on November 3, 1943.

He was a graduate of the Mt. Pleasant high school, attended Iowa Wesleyan college for two years, and graduated from Iowa State Teachers college at Cedar Falls in 1940. Before entering the service he taught school in Milsboro, Delaware and from December, 1941 to January, 1942 was instructor in manual arts at the Fairfield high school.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, July 31, 1944
Front Page, Column 2

Military Rites Held Yesterday For Ensign Robert GRAY

Military rites were held yesterday afternoon from the First Methodist church for Ensign Robert C. GRAY, killed last Monday, July 24 in a plane accident. The services were in charge of the Navy Chaplain from Iowa City Navy school, and pall bearers were six Ensigns from the Ottumwa Naval Air Station. A naval firing squad, also from the Ottumwa station, fired three volleys as Ensign GRAY was laid to rest in the Evergreen cemetery.

In a letter of condolence to the GRAY family, R. G. Massengale, Chaplain, U. S. N. R., Columbus, O. told that Ensign GRAY was soon to have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant j g. The letter reads, in part: "You will be pleased to know that on June 30, 1944, his Commanding Officer recommended him for the rank of lieutenant (j. g.), a fact which he himself never knew. This recommendation bears testimony to his competence in the discharge of his duties."

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Lot 3rd.069. His wife Neva subsequently remarried to Wayne SWEET, died in 1990, and was buried in Birchwood, WI; second husband Wayne was buried with her when he passed away in 2004.

Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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